The prosecution of 10 men accused of busting out of the New Orleans jail last year will be reassigned along with dozens of other cases handled by Criminal District Judge Leon Roche, under a recusal order Friday that affects more than 50 defendants prosecuted by Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office.
Roche oversaw the Orleans Parish grand jury that indicted Murrill last month on 16 counts of malfeasance in office and public intimidation. The July 2 indictment accused her of crimes in threatening letters she penned in May to top New Orleans officials, including Mayor Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams and five council members.
As political tensions roiled, special prosecutor Laurie White dropped the charges. Murrill, though, has said she still aims to get to the bottom of the grand jury’s inquiry…